


I Only Heard Good Things

by ZuviosGemini



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Animal Caretaker Daryl, Animal Hospital AU, M/M, Veterinarian Rick, Veterinary Clinic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-09 23:28:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8917345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZuviosGemini/pseuds/ZuviosGemini
Summary: Daryl had only been working as an animal caretaker at the animal hospital for a short while, so he hadn't met the other doctor that apparently worked there, until said-doctor came back from vacation.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a post on tumblr by user nikk-mayson: "AU where your OTP works your actual job and they meet there." I work in the kennels the animal hopsital in my town and the situation with the puppy in this story actually happened today. Only difference is I don't have a raging crush on our doctor. This is my first TWD fanfic/drabble/microfic so I hope I did a good job!!

Daryl was in the middle of washing the dog bowls from breakfast time when Glenn’s voice came on the walkie.

_“Hey is there anyone available to grab Boomer from the daycare kennel so the Doc can look at him?”_

Daryl was the only person in the kennel currently, so he wiped his wet hands on his scrubs and answered quickly.

“I'm back here. I'll get him.”

Boomer was a black and white labradoodle puppy who always came into daycare. Apparently the night before, he had somehow gotten his paws on a pork chop bone, and then threw up before coming to daycare. Daryl had only been at the hospital for a week and a half or so, but Boomer was already starting to grow on him, so needless to say Daryl was a little worried about him.

He led him into the treatment area, expecting to see Doctor Greene, the older gentleman who owned the hospital and insisted that you call him by his first name, Hershel, and not Doctor Greene. Instead, a much younger doctor came around the corner, talking to one of the other techs, Michonne, about another patient.

Doctor Rick Grimes had been on vacation when Daryl got hired, so he had only heard about him. He had originally imagined an older guy like Hershel, but this guy was much different.

Doctor Grimes looked around Daryl’s age, judging by his thick wavy hair and beard, which was just starting to go grey, and the wrinkles just starting to form around his eyes.

The doctor handed Michonne the clipboard and approached Daryl and Boomer, looking down at the puppy with his hands on his hips.

“Alright, Boomer, what's goin’ on with you?” At the sound of his name, Boomer perked up, tail wagging. Doctor Grimes’s voice had a heavy drawl to it, so he was probably from Georgia like Daryl.

“Ate a pork chop bone, did you?” Rick said, getting down on one knee and starting to pet the puppy. “Bet it tasted good at first. Not so great afterwards.”

He smiled at the puppy and then seemed to notice Daryl on the other end of the leash. He stood up and held out a hand.

“Sorry, I don’t think we’ve been introduced. Doctor Rick Grimes.”

Daryl took the offered hand.

“Daryl… uh, Dixon. I’m new. I work in the kennel.”

Rick nodded, smiling at him.

“Well then welcome, Daryl.” He got back down on the floor with Boomer, checking the insides of his ears. “How long you been here?”

“Week and a half.” Daryl said, watching Rick stick his fingers in the puppy’s mouth to look at his teeth.

“That explains why I haven’t met you before.”

“Yeah you were on vacation when I got hired.”

Rick looked up from the floor and Daryl swallowed, looking down at the puppy instead.

“People told me about you.” He mumbled, shrugging.

“Nothin’ too bad I hope.” Rick chuckled, feeling Boomer’s abdominal area for tenderness or anything out of the ordinary.

“Nah,” Daryl said, “only the good stuff.”

Rick nodded, sitting back on his heels to look at the puppy again.

“Well. I don’t feel anything strange in there, but I think I wanna do an abdominal x-ray, just to make sure there isn’t anything in there to be worried about, so if you wanna just hold onto him for a couple more minutes while I call his mom, that’d be a great help.”

Daryl nodded and stepped back so Rick could reach the phone on the wall. Daryl watched him type on the computer to find Boomer’s owner’s phone number, and then watched him punch in the numbers on the phone. His blue eyes were focused as he waited for someone to pick up, and they remained that way as he explained what was going on. The owner agreed to the x-rays and Rick hung up.

“Alright, I’ll let Michonne take over from here.” Rick said, and reached for the leash. Daryl handed it over and jumped when their fingers brushed. Rick either didn’t notice or pretended not to, because he was back to petting the puppy, telling him ‘down’ when he started to jump up. Michonne came into the treatment area and took Boomer from Doctor Grimes and led him towards the x-ray room.

Rick turned back to Daryl with a smile.

“Thanks for your help, Daryl. I look forward to workin’ with you.”

Daryl gave him a little nod, said ‘likewise’, and retreated back into the kennel area. He shut the door, but then turned around to look out the window. He could see the x-ray room from there. He could see Doctor Grimes from there. He was down on the floor with Boomer again, a big smile on his face as he played with the dog, keeping his stethoscope away from the puppy’s open mouth while Michonne got the machines ready. Daryl watched him for a moment longer, and then quickly ducked out of sight, his heart pounding, when Rick looked in his direction, that sharp focus in his eyes.

He swallowed hard and went back to doing dishes, replaying that last smile Rick had given him in his head. He wondered if he’d have more opportunities to help in treatment, so he could see the Doctor some more.

“Crush” was such a childish word, but there you go. Daryl had a crush on the doctor. It had been a while since he had a crush. He scrubbed the bowl harder, shaking his head at himself. Great.


End file.
